Samantha Gaitsch of Nashville named Dr. Thomas F. Frist Jr. Scholar at Washington University in St. Louis

ST. LOUIS, MO (08/23/2011)(readMedia)-- Samantha Gaitsch of Nashville, Tenn. (37205), has been named a Dr. Thomas F. Frist Jr. Scholar at Washington University in St. Louis.  Gaitsch will be a freshman at Washington University when the semester begins Aug. 30.

The Dr. Thomas F. Frist Jr. Scholarship recognizes graduates of Ensworth High School in Nashville for outstanding academic achievement and leadership in school and community activities.

Washington University is counted among the world's leaders in teaching and research, and it draws students and faculty to St. Louis from all 50 states and more than 110 nations. The total student body is nearly 14,000 undergraduate, graduate and professional students.

The approximately 3,400 faculty teach in seven schools: Arts & Sciences, Brown School, Olin Business School, Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts, School of Engineering & Applied Science, School of Law and School of Medicine. Twenty-three Nobel laureates have been associated with Washington University, with nine doing the major portion of their pioneering research there.

The university offers more than 90 programs and almost 1,500 courses leading to bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in a broad spectrum of traditional and interdisciplinary fields, with additional opportunities for minor concentrations and individualized programs.